The unveiling of Archaeometallurgy of India from Rigveda to Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa marks a significant milestone in the exploration of India's ancient metallurgical legacy.

Authored by Satya Narain and Navin Chandra, both esteemed alumni of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, this groundbreaking work delves deep into the texts for the period Rigveda to the Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa to unearth the secrets of ancient Indian metallurgy, stated a press release from the institute.

At the heart of this scholarly endeavour lies a profound commitment to preserving and deciphering India's rich heritage texts. By presenting original Sanskrit texts alongside English translations, the authors open a gateway to the treasures of ancient knowledge, inviting readers to journey through the annals of time and unravel the scientific acumen of ancient Indians.

The meticulous analysis of over 400 "textual metal evidence data" through conceptualised frameworks offers a structured approach that leads to understanding how the six metals of antiquity were discovered, occurred, sourced, produced, and shaped into the metallic objects in the Vedic Civilisation.

Through their research, the authors shed light on how Ancient India entered into the Metal Age by discovering hiraṇya (gold) as the first metal and āyas as the second metal, and Ancient India transitioned from the Neolithic Age to the Metal Age during the Early Rigvedic Period.

Subsequently, four new metals: silver (rajat), lead (sīsaṃ), copper (loha or lohita), and tin (trapu) were discovered during the Late Vedic Period. After that, no other new metal was discovered, but early bronze (kāṃsya) was invented during the Rāmāyaṇic Period. The minerals/ores of any of the six known metals were not identified, leading to the inference that the metallurgy of the known metals was at the Native Stage and did not advance to the Ore Smelting Stage.